Parliament was originally The Parliaments, a doo-wop group based out of George Clinton's Plainfield, New Jersey barber shop. The name was soon abandoned due to legal issues with Revilot and Atlantic Records, and most of the same people recorded under the name Funkadelic, which consisted of The Parliaments' backing musicians. Billy "Bass" Nelson is credited with creating the name Funkadelic. He also switched from 6-string guitar to bass, creating room for his childhood friend Eddie Hazel to join the group. Soon, Parliament was created in addition to Funkadelic and the two bands consisted of essentially the same people, though both released albums under their respective names.
The legal problems with the name "The Parliaments" were resolved in 1970, and Clinton signed all of Funkadelic to Invictus Records under the name Parliament, releasing Osmium ("The Breakdown" reached #30 on the R&B charts in 1971) but the name Parliament was then abandoned for some time, as Funkadelic was much more successful.
In the early 1970s, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins and Catfish Collins joined Funkadelic, which released five albums by 1974. With only moderate success, Funkadelic signed with Casablanca Records as Parliament, releasing "Up for the Down Stroke" (off the album of the same name) which reached #10 on the R&B charts but peaked at #63 Pop. The song was the biggest hit of P Funk's career. 1975 saw the release of Chocolate City, which also enjoyed moderate success; the title track reached #24.
With the ensuing albums, Parliament became one of the most respected bands on the 1970s, and are now recognized as one of the forefathers of funk music. Of particular interest are the spacey themes of Starchild, Sir Nose and other recurring characters from multiple albums.
Of particular note is the landmark album Mothership Connection, an amalgam of many '70s themes and the tight "popular" funk sound which was both more commercially viable (particularly in the black community) and more readily emulated by the numerous artists capitalizing on the popularity of funk's mainstream cousin: disco. Artists such as the BeeGees, the Commodores and Kool and the Gang repackaged many of Parliament's innovations into radio-ready pop hits and upon the mass acceptance of disco culture as portrayed in Saturday Night Fever, millions of suburban Americans were able to boogie-oogie-oogie safely protected from exposure to the urban dance scene's multi-ethnic, sexually diverse and cocaine-fueled celebration.
In the early 1980s, with legal difficulties arising from the multiple names used by multiple groups, as well as a shakeup at Casablanca Records, George Clinton dissolved Parliament and Funkadelic as recording and touring entities. Parliament/Funkadelic morphed into P-Funk. New audiences were fueled in the '90s due to extensive sampling by hip hop DJs and producers, including beats used in The Chronic and Cypress Hill's debut album.
A variety of bands evolved in their own right out of the main two bands - they included Bootsy's Rubber Band, The Brides of Funkenstein, Parlet, Mutiny, The Horny Horns, and Quazar.
George Clinton subsequently worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Reformed in January 2018, the first new Parliament release in 38 years was "I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me", which features the rapper Scarface. A new Parliament album, Medicaid Fraud Dogg, was released in May 2018.
Gloryhallastoopid
Parliament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of our radically non-logical necessary
And yet free and responsible nature
It is not only our compulsion
But it is our duty to our booty to funk you!
Cheaper than discount family therapy
We bring you funk on a couch
Pin the tail on the funky
I can assure this is the
Beginning of a meaningful relationship
Gloryhallastoopid pin the tail on the funky
That fuss was us! Gloryhallastoopid
Pin the tail on the funky
Multiple reality producing rhythms
Brings you gloryhallastoopid
Gloryhallastoopid pin the tail on the funky
A tale where the nose win in the end
That fuss was us
In the tail end, if you know what I mean
Oh! That fuss was us
He's got a bug, she's got a bug
Debugging, baby that fuss was us
They bug you, they bug your friends
Until they bug you out that fuss was us
Yeah, call us the pest control
(Gloryhallastoopid
Pin the tail on the funky)
Yeah, Starchild here (Gloryhallastoopid
Pin the tail on the funky)
Bringing it to you all the way live
>From deep in the black hole
I'm here with my man, Wellington Wigout
Who says, "If you move, you're dancing
If you're dancing, you're wiggin'
And if you're wiggin'
Then he's wiggin' out gloryhallastoopid
Pin the tail on the funky
And when it comes to making love
He says he's the disco version
He is the long-playing lover, heh heh
Wellington Wigout
Assorted backwards-recorded nonsense
This is Wellington Wigout
And I'm buggin' for you, baby
Oh! That fuss was us
We are deep in the black hole
Light years away from a hole in it all
Partyin' down that fuss was us
We found time to shine
In a place that never shined before oh
Enlightened, peek-a boo! Bustin'
With my battery-operated see you
That fuss was us
Gloryhallastoopid
Ohhhh, ohhhh
Gloryhallastoopid
The lyrics of Parliament's song "Gloryhallastoopid" can be interpreted as a celebration of funk music and its transformative power. The opening lines suggest that despite the illogical and unpredictable nature of life, it is both a compulsion and a duty to bring the energy and groove of funk to the audience. By saying "it is our duty to our booty to funk you," the lyrics emphasize the importance of spreading the joy and passion of funk.
The song continues with a playful lyrical imagery comparing funk to a cheaper alternative to family therapy. The line "We bring you funk on a couch" suggests that through their music, Parliament provides an outlet for emotional release and self-expression. The reference to the doctor, "gloryhallastoopid," implies that funk serves as a healing and therapeutic force in people's lives.
The recurring phrase "pin the tail on the funky" can be seen as a metaphor for finding and embracing the essence or spirit of funk. By doing so, Parliament claims it is the beginning of a meaningful relationship between the music and the listeners. The mention of "multiple reality producing rhythms" suggests that funk music creates a sense of multiple perspectives and dimensions, expanding the listener's perception and experience.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of bug-like annoyances and insecurities that can be overcome through the power of funk. The group refers to themselves as the "pest control," indicating their role in helping people overcome issues and troubles. This ties back to the earlier theme of funk as a form of therapy and release.
The song concludes with references to being in the "black hole" – a metaphorical place where ordinary rules do not apply. Despite being light years away from conventional norms, Parliament claims to have found time to shine and bring enlightenment through their music. This final section emphasizes the exuberant and otherworldly nature of funk, leaving the listener with a sense of joy and celebration. Overall, the lyrics of "Gloryhallastoopid" capture the essence of funk music's ability to uplift, heal, and transform.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Being aware of the non-ending condition
Recognizing the perpetual state
Of our radically non-logical necessary
Of our fundamentally irrational but essential
And yet free and responsible nature
And yet independent and accountable essence
It is not only our compulsion
It is not just our impulse
But it is our duty to our booty to funk you!
But it is our obligation to groove you!
Cheaper than discount family therapy
More affordable than discounted therapy for families
We bring you funk on a couch
We provide funk on a sofa
From the doctor gloryhallastoopid
From the expert gloryhallastoopid
Pin the tail on the funky
Attach the tail to the funky
I can assure this is the
I can guarantee this is the
Beginning of a meaningful relationship
Start of a significant connection
Gloryhallastoopid pin the tail on the funky
Gloryhallastoopid attaches the tail to the funky
That fuss was us! Gloryhallastoopid
That commotion was caused by us! Gloryhallastoopid
Pin the tail on the funky
Attach the tail to the funky
Multiple reality producing rhythms
Various rhythms creating multiple realities
Brings you gloryhallastoopid
Brings you the essence of gloryhallastoopid
Gloryhallastoopid pin the tail on the funky
Gloryhallastoopid attaches the tail to the funky
A tale where the nose win in the end
A story where the nose triumphs in the conclusion
That fuss was us
That commotion was caused by us
In the tail end, if you know what I mean
In the final part, if you understand my implication
Oh! That fuss was us
Oh! We caused that commotion
He's got a bug, she's got a bug
He has a bug, she has a bug
Debugging, baby that fuss was us
Fixing issues, baby, we caused that commotion
They bug you, they bug your friends
They annoy you, they annoy your friends
Until they bug you out that fuss was us
Until they annoy you completely, we caused that commotion
Yeah, call us the pest control
Yes, refer to us as the pest control
Yeah, Starchild here
Yeah, it's Starchild speaking
Bringing it to you all the way live
Presenting it to you in a fully live manner
From deep in the black hole
From the depths of the black hole
I'm here with my man, Wellington Wigout
I'm here with my companion, Wellington Wigout
Who says, "If you move, you're dancing
Who claims, "If you move, you're dancing
If you're dancing, you're wiggin'
If you're dancing, you're going wild'
And if you're wiggin'
And if you're going wild'
Then he's wiggin' out gloryhallastoopid
Then he's going wild, gloryhallastoopid
Pin the tail on the funky
Attach the tail to the funky
And when it comes to making love
And regarding the act of making love
He says he's the disco version
He claims he's the disco edition
He is the long-playing lover, heh heh
He is the enduring lover, heh heh
Wellington Wigout
Wellington Wigout
Assorted backwards-recorded nonsense
Various nonsense played in reverse
This is Wellington Wigout
This is Wellington Wigout
And I'm buggin' for you, baby
And I'm crazy for you, baby
We are deep in the black hole
We are in the depths of the black hole
Light years away from a hole in it all
Far removed from a flaw in everything
Partyin' down that fuss was us
Having a party, we caused that commotion
We found time to shine
We discovered a moment to radiate
In a place that never shined before oh
In a location that previously had no light oh
Enlightened, peek-a boo! Bustin'
Enlightened, playing peek-a-boo! Bursting'
With my battery-operated see you
Using my battery-powered vision
That fuss was us
That commotion was caused by us
Gloryhallastoopid
Gloryhallastoopid
Ohhhh, ohhhh
Ohhhh, ohhhh
Gloryhallastoopid
Gloryhallastoopid
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GEORGE CLINTON, WILLIAM EARL COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind